Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Theragesic. While I was compensated to write a post about Theragesic, all opinions are my own.

Now that it seems I’m walking more than I’m running, I’m working on getting more consistent in my schedule and making sure I’m getting in a few miles in a day because it seems to make me feel a bit better. I do really miss running a lot but I know it’s something I can always go back to so I’m really looking forward to that. I’ve gotten so many awesome comments from other moms who’ve been really encouraging and I truly appreciate it. I’ve said it a few times, but changing my mindset and accepting the fact that I can’t run like I was right now has been really helpful and made walking much easier. I still kind of feel like a mega dork just walking around, but hey, whatever.

It’s National Women’s Health Week and to participate I wanted to share a few of my favorite things thus far that have helped me during my pregnancy. When I found out I was pregnant, I was 8 weeks along. It was a rough start for me but I finally am feeling a bit better and to be honest, treating my ‘symptoms’ like it was a hangover was really key for me. They helped me out of my slump and my friend Nina had a ton of good recommendations for me thus far. Here are a few of my go-to things that have made my days much easier lately.

Vitamin Water Essentials – This stuff helped my morning sickness and gives me energy. I was told b-12 actually helps with nausea and this is packed with it. I drank one every morning from about weeks 12-16 and now I drink it when I’m feeling a little off to try to help me get back on track which is still about 3-4 times a week.

Non-Sorbate Prunes – Dude. These have saved my life without being too graphic. Seriously. I eat 5-6 in the morning and then another 5-6 in the evening and they have really made me feel better and way less gross. I got mine from Trader Joe’s and here’s a really random review of them.

J.Crew Factory Elastic Shorts – So, these were another recommendation and I’m living in them so far. They stretch, still look nice, are priced reasonably, and have pockets. I know I really won’t get a ton of maternity clothes because a lot of my clothes are already flowy and loose fitting and I was looking for something that was easy to wear and still looked nice. These are clutch!

Nathan Big Shot Narrow Mouth Bottle – Got this bad boy from Marshalls and I love it because of the drinking area instead of a straw. I want to get another 2 bottles just like this one! I go through a lot of water and I know it’s super important to stay hydrated even when not pregnant. The bottles with the straws were not working for me because they were getting dirty and I wasn’t able to clean them easily.

The Bump Nest – I already have a really bad back,the chiropractor is my best friend, and this was something I got early on from another friend recommendation. It has helped my sleeping a lot and it offers support for both my front and back. The fabric is so soft and I love the colors it comes in. It was an expensive splurge but totally worth it and I’m glad I got it in the beginning.

Theragesic – Speaking of Back Pain that doesn’t end… one of the first questions I asked my doctor was if I could continue using Theragesic on my back and shoulders. He approved so about every other night I put on a layer on my lower back and shoulders and it’s really helped a lot with the tightness and soreness I get throughout my back. I use it a lot when I’m running but since it helps with aches and pains, it’s perfect to continue to use now!

Preggie Pops – These helped a lot in the beginning, but as time went on I got like a weird taste for them and couldn’t eat them like I was, but they were helpful for a while and made me feel better when I was struggling with eating.

Now, onto the fun! These are obviously a few of my favorite things that have helped me and I am looking forward to a prenatal massage soon… but I know not everyone is pregnant but wants to be healthy! So with that in mind, who doesn’t love a trip to the spa! Thera-Gesic is supporting women’s health with a spa package giveaway worth $350, which seems awesome to me!! Treat yo self and enter to win! I’ll announce the winner on Monday!

These last two weeks have been crazy with track season coming to a close and finishing up working with the athletes on the team. Today is our final race for the season and only those who continue to make it to C.I.F. will be practicing. Though I do like track season, it’s not secret that cross country is by far my favorite sport, so it’s always bitter sweet to end a season even though my favorite is looming on the horizon. It’s been a very busy season as the head cross country coach took over the program and she’s been working hard to make improvements while figuring out everything going on with all aspects of track. It’s so different than cross country! I have seen a lot of improvement in the team this year, though at some points it was hard to see the big picture and the fact that they were improving. It’s easy to focus on the negative and what is bringing you down when you’re coaching and in the middle of the trenches, but as the season is finishing up, I saw a lot of progression now looking back. It’s always difficult in the heat of the moment and when things seem to be so hard, but I’m so proud of the team and the work of all the coaches I have the opportunity to work with daily. The best part of coaching is seeing kids of all levels succeed and do things they didn’t realize were possible. I’m excited to see how the entire team runs today, and I hope a lot of them qualify for C.I.F. so we can keep our season going. It’s been a fun year and I know they will do great today!

Another plus is that I’m finally starting to feel a little better and looking at a computer screen isn’t giving me migraines so hopefully I will be back to blogging a bit more regularly soon!

Last December, I got this necklace from Saucony after the rest of the team completed the marathon in Hawaii. When I opened the box and saw what was inside, I got a big knot in my throat. I felt the same feeling I had when I heard from Andi that she had confirmed from her doctor that she had a stress fracture. Though we didn’t run the marathon in Hawaii with the rest of the team, Andi and I had picked our race based on the fact that her family would be able to be there and to see her finish. It was really hard for me when she got injured because I felt partially responsible even though I had done my research to make sure the training plan wasn’t too hard and I felt like I let down the entire Saucony team because we didn’t run a full marathon as planned. When I got this package I felt a twinge of guilt because I felt like we weren’t really a part of the team since we didn’t complete our race. I know injuries happen and everyone was still very supportive and encouraging to us but as the coach I still felt bad about the situation and the fact that Andi was injured. I knew it was really hard on her as well because she was really looking forward to the race and training was going well up until that point.

Well, my cadet isn’t someone who gives up easily, she is a fighter, and once she sets her mind to do something she completes it! I am so proud of her because after the Raleigh Half, she took some time off to make sure she was completely recovered and then started training again using the same training plan I had originally given her. She decided to run the Nashville Marathon, which is this weekend and she’s finally running her first full! I can’t wait to hear how it goes for her and watching her determination throughout this whole long process has been inspiring. She has come back from having a stress fracture to now heading to the starting line and she will be crossing the finish line come Saturday morning. Even though I can’t be there in person to cheer her on, I know she is going to do awesome and I’m signed up to follow her tracking throughout the race. I can’t wait to hear her experience.

It’s also been great because during the process, she has inspired many of her friends and family members to run and they have either completed a full or half marathon too. She has even told me, this may not be the last marathon I do, but we’ll see how she feels after Saturday. Running can become addicting so easily when you have the right mindset and attitude towards it. If you allow yourself to enjoy it, it can become a great stress reliever and a great time to just get lost in your own world, even if only for an hour. I’m so proud of your attitude Andi and can’t wait to call you on Saturday and hear all about your race!

Yesterday was a tough day for me. I was pretty emotional watching the elites finish Boston and shed a few tears. It was hard because when I qualified last May, this race was all I was thinking about running wise. I knew the day would be hard for me, and I was dreading it since the time I made the decision I wasn’t going to be able to run. It was tough, but it was also a great reminder to me that I qualified once and I can do it again. It was also great to see some of my friends run and I was so happy that they were able to run the race. I tried to focus on the fact that I did qualify and that there is a lot of exciting things happening this year for us, even if Boston wasn’t one of them.

At the end of the day, I was glad it was over and breathed a big sigh of relief because I made it through the whole day and it was something I was so nervous about for so long. The one reassuring thing was that I know I couldn’t have run the race at this stage. I am still not feeling excellent and running has been very challenging. Trying to push my body that far would have been miserable so that really reminded me that I was doing the right thing. As for running lately, it’s still pretty limited but I think now that Boston is over I will feel better about running less. I’m running about 10 miles a week and walking about 5 miles a week. I usually go out to do a 2-3 miler and then end up walking a mile after. It’s nice to be able to get out and still run a little bit and the weather lately has been exceptional. We have just finished up our invitational track schedule so my Saturdays are going to be more free, so that means I can hopefully go out for a longer run/walk. It’s a different type of mindset that I’ve had to develop but I am starting to enjoy it more and embrace what I can do!

When I blog, I usually pretty much stick to talking about running. So the fact that I’m not running much right now leaves me with, what I feel like, little to blog about. I have tried to run and usually it just turns into a walk. Now that I’ve accepted that it has become much easier to do and I enjoy it more, but I still really miss running. I have continued to feel pretty sick, so I know I made the right decision about Boston, which I’m glad about. I was kind of worried I’d wake up one day and feel completely normal and have a lot of regrets, but that hasn’t happened at all. At the same time, it has been hard to keep getting the emails and seeing all the excitement leading up to the race.

I still get quite a big dose of running by coaching the high schoolers daily, but I miss going out and just being able to do a 3-6 miler in the mornings or evenings. I have come to realize that it was really ‘me’ time. I got to sort out my thoughts, enjoy the weather, and just get lost in the area I was running in. I keep hoping to feel better to try to go to the gym, or try to run more, but I just always get set back with feeling sick, or getting a headache, or right now I’m dealing with a cold I’ve had for two weeks and then I can’t make it. I’m going to try to go to the gym this week and try going on the elliptical and see how I do on that.

B and I had a great Easter though. Saturday we went to church and had a big dinner at his parents house and then on Sunday he worked so I went down to the station to see him for a while. It was a great day and though I have this darn cold, we’ve been having such nice weather and it was good to see our families. So that’s what is up with my exciting, non running filled life. Without running there isn’t AS much to talk about here on the blog… but I’m finding a new normal and I’m sure I’ll have more to post about soon! :)